Deep convection processes associated with sea surface temperature (SST) is an important mechanism of thermal control, redistributing the sea surface energy to high levels of atmosphere. Tropical areas of warmer SST are usually associated with areas of high precipitation. The present work examines the degree of spatial and temporal correlation, existing between outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), precipitation (PPT) and SST in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean (20ºN-20ºS). It was verified that the area of highest spatial correlation among PPT, OLR and SST is located to the north of Equator, following the displacement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). In the tropics, there are regions where the SST-OLR correlation presents different values, suggesting that would be the action of remote processes affecting differently these variables. The dispersion diagrams of OLR × SST for significant values of correlation, present a break of the trend when the SST is around 27 to 28ºC, indicating a transition of the state when deep convection occurs. The maximum precipitation occurs for SST near 28ºC.
ocean-atmosphere interaction; OLR; SST; precipitation
